The Light and Land tour to Knoydart has been running continuously for 16 years, but sadly this year we won't be visiting due to you-know-what. Unable to go last week, Ben Osborne instead shares images from his many previous trips below. Hopefully, they will give you an insight into the rich photographic possibilities of Knoydart and the Small Isles and may inspire you to consider joining a future tour. We cover a range of genres including wildlife and landscape photography and we visit beautiful remote locations, many of which are only accessible by boat.

"Laig Bay on the Isle of Eigg is one of our favorite locations on the “Knoydart” tour. (Obviously we travel further afield than Knoydart, visiting islands and other less accessible locations). Eigg is a wonderful place and these sands sift into beautiful sinuous patterns which are a fascinating photographic subject. At the north end of the sandy beach, the rocky shoreline holds some of the most extraordinary rock formations anywhere in Britain. And to the south, the Sgurr of Eigg rises dramatically out of the moor." - Ben Osborne

(Below)

"Here we look at the mainland with two images of features in Loch Hourn which forms the northern boundary of the Knoydart Peninsula, and a dawn image from Sleat Point of the mainland hills above Loch Nevis, the southern boundary of the peninsula. We visit the more remote Loch Hourn on most visits (midges and weather permitting) as it is a very dramatic landscape with excellent opportunities for more detailed photography of the stunning Scots Pines, some wonderful waterfalls and a varied coastline." - Ben Osborne

(Below)

"Day 4 takes us to a three image panorama of the beautiful Sleat Point. This location offers many photographic options from longer views out to the Small Isles and the Skye Cuillins to plenty of stunning sandstone rocks, flowers and beaches. It’s a place we often visit on the way back to Doune (our base on Knoydart) following a trip out to one of the islands. We also had a wonderful dawn landing there one year." - Ben Osborne

(Below)

"A favourite destination on the “Knoydart and the Small Isles” tour is the Isle of Muck. Not only are there numerous photographic opportunities within fairly easy walking distance but the wonderfully relaxed atmosphere of the island is immediately appealing. Beaches, ponies, a turf-roofed bothy and distant views draw the eye to both closer details and wider landscapes. Oh, and there’s a great little tea-room to end the day. Muck is always a highlight of this tour." - Ben Osborne

(Below)

"On the penultimate day of the virtual “Knoydart and the Small Isles” tour, I want to share some more subtle images which reflect the ethos of this very special photographic adventure. Lanscape photographers have a tendency to look for big views and iconic scenery (and, in my personal opinion, over-process the images so that they look like an explosion in a paint factory). This tour delivers very few of these obvious cliches, concentrating instead on allowing participants to explore the landscape in more detail and refine their own vision of how they wish to interpret it. This is infinitely more interesting and satisfying so today’s images are some slightly more abstract, monochrome views of a few favourite locations. Obviously, the precise location becomes irrelevant in these photographic situations whereas the essence of the landscape is all important." - Ben Osborne

(Below)

"The final day of the virtual “Knoydart and the Small Isles” tour features two island locations which we visit regularly. The first two images were created within a few metres of each other and illustrate the benefits of taking your time to explore the many options that one “view” might offer. The low angle daisies gives prominence to the foreground while the other image simply uses the foreground as a “prop” to lead the eye to the cottage and dramatic rock (the Sgurr of Eigg) in the distance. The final image is of some very special basalt columns on the north coast of Canna, the westernmost of the Small Isles. I used a polarising filter to cut through the surface reflections and reveal the underwater details." - Ben Osborne

Next year's tour is fully booked but do sign up to the waiting list here if you are interested and we will notify you when new dates are announced.